Sonic ready to roll next on south side

Douglas Road drive-in goes SuperSonic Wednesday afternoon.

Douglas Road drive-in goes SuperSonic Wednesday afternoon.

September 28, 2008|By HEIDI PRESCOTT Tribune columnist

Good news, Sonic fans. Good news, times two. Not only does the new Mishawaka Sonic restaurant open Wednesday, but South Bend south siders can also start looking forward to their very own location. The Basket has received official word that Sonic signed a lease deal for the former Ritter's Frozen Custard site on Miami Road at Erskine Village shopping center. This will be Sonic's third area location. The chain opened on Portage Road this summer. Operator Bryant Morrison is unsure of the south side construction timeline. The Ritter's building has to come down first. "We looked at the building for a while, but all the equipment was taken and vandals pulled out all the electrical wiring," he says. "And we need a full kitchen," which Ritter's was lacking. In the meantime, Douglas Road will open its doors at 2 p.m. Wednesday in Mishawaka. Morrison had hoped to open the location in August, but road construction delayed that plan and continues to restrict traffic in front of Sonic to two lanes. But Morrison does not want customers to worry about the line. Sonic worked out an agreement with Gurley Leep, which will accommodate the overflow traffic that caused some confusion when Sonic opened on Portage. There, customers lined up as much as 50 cars deep to enter the restaurant site. Sonic employees will be directing and diverting traffic from Douglas into the Gurley Leep parking lot to keep a handle on any overflow for the next month or so. The Douglas Road Sonic will be open from 6 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday, and 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Basket Bits wants you The lines are now open for you to subscribe to our new e-Newsletter that is scheduled for launch on Oct. 9. This weekly product will be delivered straight to your inbox every Thursday. It will be filled with doorbusters and chain store news, as well as convenient links to the week's columns, blogs, chat and stories. To subscribe, go to the newsletter page on our site at www.southbendtribune.com/newsletter, and register if you have not yet already -- the process is quick and easy. Then click the box to start receiving Basket Bits. Have you heard? Old National Bank is expected to be under construction soon near the corner of Cleveland and Gumwood roads in Mishawaka. The bank plans a 5,477-square-foot freestanding building on an out lot at Heritage Square shopping center, a state construction report reveals. ... Kroger plans to build a fuel center at its Town & Country grocery store at 2330 Hickory Road, Mishawaka. Heidi Prescott's Market Basket column appears on Fridays and Sundays. When she's not out shopping, you can contact her at hprescott@sbtinfo.com or (574) 235-6070. Discuss retail on her blog at www.southbendtribune.com/marketbasket or join her during a Live Chat at noon Tuesdays.